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Giardino Bardini

All these buildings begin to look the same after a while (not really), so why not head out off the beaten track to these sensational gardens, one of the city’s least known tourist spots and, situated atop Montecuccoli Hill, boasting stunning views of Florence. The spotlessly maintained gardens have recently opened to the public, and, combined with a ticket to the nearby Giardino di Boboli, costs a...

The Museo Galileo

It’s easy to forget that the Renaissance was not just about art, and a trip to the Museo Galileo, dedicated to the one of Florence’s most famous sons, Galileo Gallilei, an iconic physicist, mathematician and astronomer, will be sure to put you straight on that front. Its collection of 16th century mathematical artefacts, including compasses, clocks, maps and even an early calculator, will...

Pergola Theatre

Did you know that the opera was invented in Florence? Well it was, and, built in 1656 under the auspices of (you guessed it) the Medici family, the Teatro della Pergola has the accolade of being Italy’s and the world’s oldest operatic theatre. Not many places can boast of Mozart having been there, but its rumoured that the theatre ranked as the Austrian wizard’s favourite...

Piazzale Michaelangelo

Of course, there’s no better way of really getting a true sense of a city than by finding a spot with a great views. And if it’s views you want, look no further than Piazzale Michelangelo, which on a clear day offers spectacular views of Florence and the Arno Valley. Designed as a tribute to Michelangelo in 1869 by architect Giuseppe Poggi, here you’ll find replicas of...

Piazza Santa Maria Novella

You don’t have to be standing in the musty corridors of an ancient building to feel like you’re in a museum in Florence. This square is considered by some the pick of the piazzas, featuring two marble obelisks above four bronze turtles, made by Giambologna, topped off with a Florentine lily heavy on detail. They were designed to increase the wow-factor of the church that was built there in...

The Uffizi Gallery

It’d be a massive oversight to visit Florence and not go to The Uffizi Gallery, the most visited and culturally significant museum in the city. Boasting 1.5 million visitors a year, queues at the Uffizi are inevitable, with weekends and week days between 11am and 3pm bearing the brunt of the business. To avoid disappointment, and to ensure a stress free experience, you’d be better off buying...

The Medici Chapels

After all the Medicis did for Florence in terms of art and architecture, going to visit the family’s final resting place is only polite. The Chapels are part of the church of San Lorenzo, which was the Medici family’s church of choice during the period in which they lived in their palace in Via Larga, and served as a mausoleum for the family until Michelangelo started work on the...

Il Duomo

Mention to someone that you’ve just been to Florence and they’ll no doubt ask you if you saw Il Duomo, one of Italy’s prized sights, and icon of Florence. It’s a huge, Gothic cathedral, that dates back to 1296, with a marble-covered facade and dome that’s regarded as a genuine masterpiece. While the dome costs 8 euros to enter, the cathedral itself won’t cost you a bean...

Why visit Florence?

Florence, perhaps the major player in the Italian Renaissance, has a cultural significance that cannot be overplayed. Today, visit the Tuscan capital and experience jaw-droppingly beautiful architecture making most other cities suffer by comparison. But celebrating its history, Florence doesn't like to dwell on the past, and in modern times has established itself as one of the centres of the fashion industry, and is also feted for its film industry and cutting edge cuisine.